19960124000919A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech 58 · Detroit, MI · January 24, 1996

Date: January 24, 1996 · 20:08 local
Place: Detroit, MI
Airport: Willow Run
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: EAPA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4108S
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI96LA081
Reported as: Beech 58
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,900 total1,600 in this make and model250 in the last 90 days

N4108SRegistered now · Beech 58S/N TH-605 · Built 1975 Airframe modelBeech 58 Engine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Was taxiing to park and ran into a parked leak jet. (.4)the pilot was taxiing onto a parking ramp when his airplane collided with a parked airplane. The pilot said a hangar on the ramp's edge had 15 floodlights along its top edge, and a dark area on its middle section. He said the flood lights, his airplane's taxilight, and falling snow caused light reflection that made it difficult to see the parked airplane. He said the dark color of the airplane his airplane struck blended in with the hangar's dark area. An FAA pmi confirmed the pilot's statement about the floodlights and the fact that no taxiway or ramp markings were available. (-23) see narrative #CHI96LA081.

As the FAA filed it

WAS TAXIING TO PARK AND RAN INTO A PARKED LEAK JET. (.4)THE PILOT WAS TAXIING ONTO A PARKING RAMP WHEN HIS AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A PARKED AIRPLANE. THE PILOT SAID A HANGAR ON THE RAMP'S EDGE HAD 15 FLOODLIGHTS ALONG ITS TOP EDGE, AND A DARK AREA ON ITS MIDDLE SECTION. HE SAID THE FLOOD LIGHTS, HIS AIRPLANE'S TAXILIGHT, AND FALLING SNOW CAUSED LIGHT REFLECTION THAT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE PARKED AIRPLANE. HE SAID THE DARK COLOR OF THE AIRPLANE HIS AIRPLANE STRUCK BLENDED IN WITH THE HANGAR'S DARK AREA. AN FAA PMI CONFIRMED THE PILOT'S STATEMENT ABOUT THE FLOODLIGHTS AND THE FACT THAT NO TAXIWAY OR RAMP MARKINGS WERE AVAILABLE. (-23) SEE NARRATIVE #CHI96LA081.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI96LA081Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportYipsilanti, MIwas the pilot not maintaining visual separation with the parked airplanes. A factor in this accident was the pilot's over- confidence in his personal ability to taxi onto the parking ramp with the snowfall he was encountering.Jan 25, 1996 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4108S · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19991021042279ILevel Off Touchdown · Freeport, IL(-23)The pilot executed a landing on runway 18 at dorninick field (C86) a grass runway. The aircraft landed hard and drifted to the east side of the runway and touched down in the rough area along side the runway in an alfalfa field. The left main landing…Oct 21, 1999 · Minor damage Incident 19880425018289IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Gainesville, TXPower lost in right engine. Engine shut down. Found right hand engine mixture cable control assembly broken.Apr 25, 1988